Method of affixing a group of elastic filaments to an electronic component body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9907185-B2
Application number	US-201414554226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Dec 13, 2012
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

According to embodiments of the invention, an electronic component assembly may be provided. The electronic component assembly may include an electronic component body. The electronic component assembly may also include one or more elastic members affixed to the electronic component body. The electronic component assembly may also include a catch mechanism affixed to each elastic member adapted to allow insertion of the elastic member and the catch mechanism through a hole of a circuit board in an extended position, and upon release from the extended position, hold the electronic component body in a fixed position by the tension of the elastic member and the catch mechanism grasping an edge of a surface of the circuit board opposite a surface upon which the electronic component body rests.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing an electronic component body;
affixing a group of elastic filaments to the electronic component body, each filament of the group of elastic filaments extends away from the electronic component body in a direction parallel to the group of elastic filaments, each filament further deforms to a constricted position when a constrictive force is applied, and upon removal of the constrictive force, return to a natural position;
placing a tube over the group of elastic filaments, the tube contains the group of filaments in the constricted position in order to allow insertion of the tube containing the group of elastic filaments into a hole of a circuit board;
inserting the group of one or more elastic filaments contained by tube into a hole of the circuit board until the electronic component body contacts a surface of the circuit board; and
removing the tube from the group of elastic filaments, wherein the group of elastic filaments is allowed to return to a natural position, wherein the group of elastic filaments grasps an edge of the hole of the circuit board, thereby holding, with a tensile force, the electronic component body in a fixed position against a surface of the circuit board.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Mann Phillip V
• Plucinski Mark D
• Shirk/Heath Sandra J
• Sinha Arvind K

Classifications

• H05K13/0053

  Arrangements for assisting the manual mounting of components, e.g. special tables or light spots indicating the place for mounting · CPC title

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• H05K7/12 Primary

  Resilient or clamping means for holding component to structure · CPC title

• Y10T29/49139

  by inserting component lead or terminal into base aperture · CPC title

• H05K3/308 Primary

  Adaptations of leads (connectors to printed circuits H01R12/00) · CPC title